Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Dr Steve Seah - Singapore Eye Specialist - Talks About Glaucoma


Glaucoma is a serious, degenerative eye condition that is largely hereditary and can be treated in order to control disease progression; but has no cure. Glaucoma is often hard to detect as symptoms are not obvious in its early stages. The most striking part of glaucoma is that it can lead to irreversible vision loss and even blindness, if left untreated. Ample knowledge about glaucoma can help you understand the condition better and find out how to prevent its progression while in its early stages.  

Here Are the Things You Need to Know About Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is a slow disease. Glaucoma usually deteriorates progressively over the years when excessive eye pressure builds up, leading to damage in the optic nerves. In untreated cases, it can take an average of 15 years before glaucoma leads to serious vision loss, starting from the periphery.
Glaucoma is most common with older people. The age where glaucoma is best detected is 35, especially for those with a family history of the disease. Meanwhile, people over 60 years old naturally have a much higher risk of getting glaucoma. To be safe, make a visit to an ophthalmologist for a detailed eye screening every one or two years.
Glaucoma is largely hereditary. If your parents, sibling or relative has a history of glaucoma, it is very likely that you will develop it too. In this case, the safest thing to do is to consult your eye doctor and get an eye assessment and early intervention.
Glaucoma eye drops can greatly slow the progression of glaucoma. Glaucoma eye drops are usually the primary form of medication to help patients control the pressure in their eyes over a long period of time. The eye drops work by either reducing the intraocular pressure in the eye, reducing fluid production in the eye, or helping the eye’s fluid drain better.
Glaucoma can be diagnosed through tests conducted by your eye doctor. Tonometry and ophthalmoscopy are some of the tests conducted to diagnose glaucoma. A tonometry measures the pressure inside the eye, and an ophthalmoscopy checks for damage in the optic nerve. Your eye doctor may also conduct a vision test to check your peripheral vision, which tends to be affected first in glaucoma.


What Can You Do to Lessen the Risk of Glaucoma?
Although glaucoma is not curable, early detection and treatment can greatly manage its progression and reduce the damage done to your vision.
 Consult your Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist - Consulting your ophthalmologist for an eye check-up can allow the doctor to diagnose and treat your glaucoma while in its early stages, thereby slowing disease progression and preventing further damage.



 Wear Sunglasses - Having glaucoma can make your eyes more sensitive to sunlight. Sunglasses that blocks UV rays and come with wraparounds (that curve around the sides of your eyes) are the most effective in giving you relief from glare, and in protecting your eyes.

Other types of sunglasses that can relieve discomfort for glaucoma patients include: polarized glasses, mirror-coated glasses, and photochromic glasses.

·   Polarized glasses cut the reflected glare of light
·  Mirror-coated glasses have reflective coatings that appears like small mirrors. This lowers the amount of entering the eyes
· Photochromic glasses darken immediately when exposed to sunlight and lighten when indoors,convenient option of protective eye-wear

      Eat Vitamin-Rich Foods - Eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables with higher vitamin A and C can help reduce the risks of glaucoma. Some of these include kale, spinach, celery, carrots, peaches, and beets. In addition, pomegranate, acai berries, and cranberries (which are rich in antioxidants) can aid in preventing oxidative stress, commonly associated with the damage of the optic nerve.

    Regular Exercise - Regular moderate exercise can lower eye pressure and improve blood flow in the eyes. However, the benefits of exercise for glaucoma patients can only be achieved if done consistently. Do note that some rigorous exercises that require inversion of the body like upside-down yoga, pole dancing and scuba diving are not advisable for glaucoma patients.

   Eat Omega-3 Rich Foods - Eating omega-3 rich foods such as tunas and salmons can help reduce dryness in the eyes. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids combined with Vitamins B and E can also help in improving visual fields and retinal sensitivity.

Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Steve Seah, was the former Head and Senior Consultant of the Glaucoma Service at the Singapore National Eye Centre, giving him in-depth experience in the care and treatment for glaucoma patients, which he now specializes in in his practice.
Dr Seah is also proficient in providing quality ophthalmologic services for patients with cataracts, retinal diseases and diabetic retinopathy. If you have any questions or would like to request for additional information about Glaucoma, you may visit our website or call us at 6565 6888 today.